The Exiled Queen
by Cinda Williamas Chima
At the end of The Demon King, Book One of the Seven Realms series, Han Alister has learned that he is a wizard whose powers have been suppressed by the silver cuffs he's always worn on his wrists. The clan leaders take the cuffs off his wrists and promise him an education at the Wizard's school in Oden's Ford in exchange for his vow to help them fight their enemies when called upon. His long-time clan friend, Dancer goes with him.
Princess Raisa meanwhile, flees from a coerced marriage to Micah Bayer, son of the High Wizard. Accompanied by her friend and guard Amon Byrne and his cadets, Raisa heads to Wein House, the military school in Oden's Ford, at the advice of Amon's father, to receive the military and political training she needs to effectively perform her duties as queen.
Both journeys are filled with dangers and discomforts, but Han and Raisa arrive safely in Oden's Ford to begin classes in their separate schools. Though they have met in the past, neither knows the other is in Oden's Ford, and Han knows Raisa only as Rebecca Morley, a blueblood he met back in the Fells.
While at Mystwerk, Han must constantly watch his back, as Micah Bayer, Han's sworn enemy, repeatedly tries to kill him. To protect himself, Han begins meeting with a powerful and mysterious wizard named Crow, to learn more advanced magic. Raisa excels in her classwork and puts up with the confining rules Amon has placed on her for her own protection. Their relationship becomes more complicated and tense as Raisa realizes that they can never marry. Raisa constantly worries about her mother the queen and what is hppening back in her queendom.
Everything changes when Han and Raisa meet and Han convinces the princess he knows only as Rebecca Morley to tutor him in blueblood customs and history. As Raisa teaches, Han takes on more polished speech and manners without losing his street smarts. For her part, Raisa begins to fall in love with Han.
An abduction and impending forced marriage of Raisa by Micah Bayer, and a summons back to the clan camps of Han, delivered by Bird, sends both on separate and treacherous journeys back to their homeland. Neither knows whether all they have learned in Oden's Ford is enough to ensure their safe arrival, or what they will find if they do manage to make it home. Chima has given her readers a true cliff-hanger in this second installment of the Demon King series. According to her website, we have to wait until September 2011 before The Gray Wolf Throne, the third in the Seven Realms series is published. I love this series! It's going to be a long year. ~reviewed by Mrs. Sams
